I'm planning on buying a second hand car

[ajnl]

Hey, I live in the Netherlands and i'm planning on buying a second hand car. I have a could questions:

 

1. What car brands are good? Especially since it'll be a second hand car (100,000 to 300,000km)

 

2. Should I get a diesel car or gasoline car? I will mostly be using this car to go from my house to school. About 15 minutes away (with a car). What are the advantages/disadvantages for both diesel and gas cars?

3. I will bring the car to a mechanic b4 I buy it. So he can inspect it and make sure that it is a decent car.

 

4. Can anyone think of anything else that would be necessary when buying a second hand car? What else do I need to take into account?

[thundercunt]

Hey, I live in the Netherlands and i'm planning on buying a second hand car. I have a could questions:

 

1. What car brands are good? Especially since it'll be a second hand car (100,000 to 300,000km)

 

2. Should I get a diesel car or gasoline car? I will mostly be using this car to go from my house to school. About 15 minutes away (with a car). What are the advantages/disadvantages for both diesel and gas cars?

3. I will bring the car to a mechanic b4 I buy it. So he can inspect it and make sure that it is a decent car.

 

4. Can anyone think of anything else that would be necessary when buying a second hand car? What else do I need to take into account?

 

As far as makes/models go I would recommend a early 90's Honda or Nissan. They are easy to work on and readily available for parts at your local scrap yard.

 

Here is a small checklist that has helped me when buying anything with wheels.

 

1. If you are meeting a private party to look at a vehicle, try to get there 15 to 20 minutes early. You may discover the vehicle being prepared for your visit.

2. Try to get the seller to set a time for you to see the vehicle when it has been sitting overnight. You want to see how it will start first thing in the morning.

3. Always try to inspect vehicles during the day, when you can see better than at night.

4. Don't be afraid to ask the seller to help or show you something.

5. Take time to perform an inspection to your satisfaction. Don't hurry or let yourself be rushed.

6. At some point during a test drive, try to drive at 20 to 30 mph beside a solid center median or beside a solid side wall. Open the window halfway and listen for sounds of the vehicle echoed by the hard surface. You should only hear the sound of the tires on the roadway.

[Timberwolf]

I started working on cars from the age of 12 with my dad..same time i drove too lol ..anyways I have worked in both bodyshops and mech shops Rule #1 Never think because the car LOOKS great It is great ..Theres always something to fix

 

Things to check : Lights, Horn, Windshield, Tires, Wipers, A/C - Heat .Is there a engine light on?? Also to tell if the car has been in a crash and fixed ..Check the Gaps between the body panels I.E. Doors, Hood, Etc Most bodyshops use after market cheaper parts ..And there made in china and never fit 100% So at the beginning of a fender it may " line up " at the start but at the end the gap maybe bigger ...tell tail sign your used car was hit ..If so the body is weakened and will drive differnt. Also more chance of death if the car is hit again in the same place

 

Check under the hood!!!! Before you start talking about anything a good way to get a better price is ask to see under the hood..women never do this ..and it's the reason way sellers get full price

It's shows you know cars Even if you don't .. Check Out around the engine Any broken wires? and new parts added? Is it really dirty? Any wet spots? A wet spot means something is leaking and will need to be repaired Which could be cheap or $,$$$ depending on where the leak is. Another Thing to do is check Under the car ..Hows the exhaust? any rust spots? Any holes? When getting Lic plates most countries want you to get it Cert'd before you can have it on the road The things listed above is what needs to be working ..Steering, Brakes, Horn Lights No holes No cracked windshield Tires ( safety line on tires ) << if you look between the treads of the tire. There should be a line from one side of the Tread gap to the other This shows when the tire needs to be replaced

 

Last Never let the seller see you smile..means your happy with the car ..and the price ..i tead to open the hood look at the engine and say Hmmmm alot lol then ask alot of questions

 

I made alot of money buying and selling cars that way doubling my money

 

Custom car i did below i bought for $500 CDN Plus $600 in parts Labour was all me. And sold for $3,900

 

2nd picture ..Finshed

2005.bmp

[Timberwolf]

Also for the used car buyer : once you have bought your car ..Go to a autoparts store and buy a Haynes Manual or Michell repair Guide These Paperback Books will help you find out whats wrong with your car and has Many Many pictures and Step by step how to find and fix your problems Should you feel you can fix it yourself ..It's how i learned

 

So say you bought a Honda Cvic . You need to know what year your car is and buy the book Haynes Manual for 1990 - 1995 Honda civc Cl Si LX

 

You asked Gas or diesel I would have to say Gas just for the reason Gas is all around more then Diesel here The last thing you want is to be low on Diesel and be looking for a Gas station that severs Diesel

Diesel is cheaper then gas from time to time. Yet again Gas powered cars are fixed by mechs These same Mechs Not always know Diesel engines and take more time fixing them ..costing you more

 

I would think about the cars around you in your country Germany is close to you yes? VW ? Golf ? BMW ? lol Go with a car that is 4 cyl Cheap to fix Find out about Auto scraping yards around you ..Cheap used parts

 

Some of the cars i owned : 1967 ford mustang GT, 1983 Trans Am 350ci engine Auto (knight rider), 1989 Trans Am 3.8L turbo ( 93 of 1121 made) 1987 Camaro IROC-Z 350CI 5-Speed, 1991 Honda Prelude 2.0 5 speed, 1991 Dodge Daytona IROC-Z 3.0 V6 5-speed, 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo 3.0 5 Speed And many more that i bought and sold

 

Hope it helps

[ajnl]

awesome, thx. I'll definitely do that. Thx again for alll your help.

[PHANTASM]

Look up the VIN (vehicle identification number) of any car you are interested in to see if it has been in a wreck, or has changed hands many times, or started out far away. I'm sure they have something similar to the VIN system in Europe you can look up. That's the first thing to do.

 

Any car with more than 100,000 km (62,000 miles) will probably be showing signs of wear and tear, parts will be beginning to break, and that is why people sell their cars at that age to get rid of them before these things happen while they are driving. You don't want to buy someone else's junk even if it looks nice. Get the least-used car you can afford.

 

Toyota and Honda are the most reliable brands.

[Warning.]

1. What car brands are good? Especially since it'll be a second hand car (100,000 to 300,000km)

in holland? Golf, Audi, Honda, that kind a cars

2. Should I get a diesel car or gasoline car? I will mostly be using this car to go from my house to school. About 15 minutes away (with a car). What are the advantages/disadvantages for both diesel and gas cars? gas

3. I will bring the car to a mechanic b4 I buy it. So he can inspect it and make sure that it is a decent car.

gud point

4. Can anyone think of anything else that would be necessary when buying a second hand car? What else do I need to take into account?

repair, insurence...

[Razzled]

You mean your buying a "used" car? Why not buy new. Lotsa great deals out there now. Dont waste your money on a peice of shit import. Buy American. If they do break down the parts are inexpensive and still fairly easy to work on. I have 4 American vehicles. Chevy, chevy, chevy and a Cadillac. All I purchased brand new with the exception of an ols Camaro I'm restoring and all have cost me mininal to operate with the exception of routine maintenance. Dont buy no Jap peice of crap cuz when somethin does go on it, it'll cost you a fortune. Oh and if your a male, dont buy yourself a "girlie" car, get yourself a nice truck. Hope this helps.

[Timberwolf]

1. What car brands are good? Especially since it'll be a second hand car (100,000 to 300,000km)

in holland? Golf, Audi, Honda, that kind a cars

2. Should I get a diesel car or gasoline car? I will mostly be using this car to go from my house to school. About 15 minutes away (with a car). What are the advantages/disadvantages for both diesel and gas cars? gas

3. I will bring the car to a mechanic b4 I buy it. So he can inspect it and make sure that it is a decent car.

gud point

4. Can anyone think of anything else that would be necessary when buying a second hand car? What else do I need to take into account?

repair, insurence...

 

 

You mean your buying a "used" car? Why not buy new. Lotsa great deals out there now. Dont waste your money on a peice of shit import. Buy American. If they do break down the parts are inexpensive and still fairly easy to work on. I have 4 American vehicles. Chevy, chevy, chevy and a Cadillac. All I purchased brand new with the exception of an ols Camaro I'm restoring and all have cost me mininal to operate with the exception of routine maintenance. Dont buy no Jap peice of crap cuz when somethin does go on it, it'll cost you a fortune. Oh and if your a male, dont buy yourself a "girlie" car, get yourself a nice truck. Hope this helps.

 

Then look for a Golf or Audi or Honda And i would go with Gas every hear of a diesel fueled jet? or gas powered shipliner? Diesel is used for trucks trains and heavy Towing One uses "Glow plugs" to heat the diesel The other uses "Spark plug" not much diffrents just more pulling power under load ..like you were towing another car ..doesn't make it faster

 

As for "Checking the VIN number" The tenth digit in the Vin number will tell you what year it was made I.E. = ( 1 ) = 2001 ( 2 ) = 2002 ( 3 ) = 2003 ETC, Before 2001 letters were used ( Y ) = 2000 ( X ) = 1999 ..no Z was used

 

Knowing your VIN number in Canada you can go to the Minstry of transportion and pay $30 and get what they call a "Used car pakage" It tells you all the owners before that owned the car ..If theres any Liens on the car (money owned ) parking tickets etc and if the car has been in a crash

 

Its a good thing to have ...Someone could Say take a cheap basic car and make it look like its worth more with false names on it tlike Rally sport or super sport or SI Vtec when it doesn't have it ..The car pakage will tell you What you really have

 

Seeing you live in Holland not USA don't buy Amercan imports when you have honda and german cars closer and parts all around ..Your not going to have alot of Camaro's laying around for parts or mechs that ever seen a F-body car

Again don't buy a sports car if you want cheaper insur, They class cars like this ...2-door $$$ Hatch-back $$$ V8 engine $$$ Newer car $$$ I even heard of them charging more for red painted cars because its a sporty color lol

[ajnl]

You mean your buying a "used" car? Why not buy new. Lotsa great deals out there now. Dont waste your money on a peice of shit import. Buy American. If they do break down the parts are inexpensive and still fairly easy to work on. I have 4 American vehicles. Chevy, chevy, chevy and a Cadillac. All I purchased brand new with the exception of an ols Camaro I'm restoring and all have cost me mininal to operate with the exception of routine maintenance. Dont buy no Jap peice of crap cuz when somethin does go on it, it'll cost you a fortune. Oh and if your a male, dont buy yourself a "girlie" car, get yourself a nice truck. Hope this helps.

 

Thx for the info. Used/2nd hand.. same difference

 

the problem with a truck is that it'll be a lot more expansive. Also in the Netherlands it is much easier to get around with a smaller car.

[Antichrist]

Something else to keep in mind, some cars for sale will not have license plates/registration/insurance (and/or whatever is required over there) which means you may not be able to drive some cars.

 

If you can put together a checklist of things to check (bring a mechanic/friend along) you might be able to save yourself some money buying a car "as is". You'll also have to pay to have the car towed back home, unless the owner lets you leave the car there overnight until you have it registered.

 

AND if there isn't much interest in a car, (the owner may mention that to you) By PASSING on a car you want, can sometimes save you some money, when you go back to look at it a 2nd time. (Saved me $200 USD on my monte carlo doing this)

 

Also, $ talks. For example, if the price is 1000, and you offer 800 cash NOW, many sellers will take the $ now, instead of waiting to sell the car for their asking price.

 

Also, don't completely rule out buying a car that needs MINOR work. Common reasons people sell their cars are because of a small repair is needed, and those cars will be priced cheaper. Brake lines, Fuel lines, Brakes, Tires, Shocks/Struts, Are all EASY to fix/replace.

Over here, GM used cheap gaskets in 3100 (3.1L V6) engines. The gaskets deteriorate, and you leak coolant/oil into the other. The repair costs $500-$800 at a mechanic. The repair is $100 doing it yourself. (you can buy one of these "broken cars here for $400USD, and theyre worth $1000-$1500) Keep cars needing repair in mind also if you know a friend who will do work cheap or free!

 

Just make sure you know how much the repair will cost BEFORE you buy the car

 

EDIT! Just thought of a VERY important thing...

 

If you guys use titles like we do here in the states, make sure the title is signed in the correct space, and MAKE SURE THE TITLE IS IN THE SELLERS NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Be sure to get the bill of sale, and all other information required by your motor vehicle office to have ownership transferred to you!!!

Edited January 6, 2011 by Antichrist

[Timberwolf]

Also, don't completely rule out buying a car that needs MINOR work. Common reasons people sell their cars are because of a small repair is needed, and those cars will be priced cheaper. Brake lines, Fuel lines, Brakes, Tires, Shocks/Struts, Are all EASY to fix/replace.

Over here, GM used cheap gaskets in 3100 (3.1L V6) engines. The gaskets deteriorate, and you leak coolant/oil into the other. The repair costs $500-$800 at a mechanic. The repair is $100 doing it yourself. (you can buy one of these "broken cars here for $400USD, and theyre worth $1000-$1500) Keep cars needing repair in mind also if you know a friend who will do work cheap or free!

 

 

I wouldn't handle a head gasket on a 3100 v6 or any other if you haven't done auto repairs before Bolts need to be tightened in a pattern and touqed to spec's other wise you will have the same leak

 

#2 a engine that has had a head casket leak and coolant has mixed with the oil "glazing" has happened Heat, Oil, Coolant gums up the engine Pistion walls, Valves, Giving the car less power and minor damage with wear and tear Some engine builders will set your upper engine parts in a hot cleanner bath before reinstalling it

 

avoid head caskets Take someone who knows cars with you

[Antichrist]

 

I wouldn't handle a head gasket on a 3100 v6 or any other if you haven't done auto repairs before Bolts need to be tightened in a pattern and touqed to spec's other wise you will have the same leak

 

#2 a engine that has had a head casket leak and coolant has mixed with the oil "glazing" has happened Heat, Oil, Coolant gums up the engine Pistion walls, Valves, Giving the car less power and minor damage with wear and tear Some engine builders will set your upper engine parts in a hot cleanner bath before reinstalling it

 

avoid head caskets Take someone who knows cars with you

 

You're right about the oil glazing. But the most common gasket that fails is the lower intake, not the upper intake, and not the head gaskets. The torque specs, and tightening pattern for these, and I'm certain most any engine can readily be found online.

 

I only suggested these cars since he seems to only want a 2nd car, and not a high performance weekend warrior. Every lower intake gasket I've done, the valvetrain has shown anywhere between slight signs of varnish, to extreme varnish causing a valvetrain tick. The last lower intake gasket I did was on a 1997 Tahoe with almost 200k miles on it, the pushrods were coated with varnish, when I was done, the valvetrain was ticking badly, I thought I'd be replacing lifters, pushrods, etc... But a simple oil change 2,000 miles later eliminated that.

 

There are also detergents you can add to yor oil to help reduce varnish.

 

You just have to make sure the oil holes in your rockers are 100% clean, which can be done with the heads in the car.

[MAD MAX]

I dont know iff you have already a car, i drive a Suzuki grand vitara, suzuki have a litle car alto or something like that they sell in Belgium near to you so must be nearly same at yours country, 6969 euro brand new with 5 years warranty so why buy a used car for same price? i think its a better option to buy a small new car.

Good luck annyway

Edited January 8, 2011 by MAD MAX

[ajnl]

Hey every1. Thanks for all the advice. Ended up buying a 1996 VW Golf. It only had 80,000km on it, because it was driven by an old woman. So I doubt she did anything crazy with it lol. The mechanic who I bought it from is a good friend of my brother-in-law and he's done all the maintenance on it. So he knows the whole history.

 

Anyways, thx again. I'll post some pics later.